What to do with ashes???

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Scott2373

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Nov 9, 2011
146
Williamson, New York
I have a 20 gallon galvanized garbage can that I'm using for my ashes and it's almost full so I'm wondering what I'm going to do with them. I don't have any place on my property to dump them since it's all landscaped, so what uses are there for them or how do you use or dispose of them? Thanks!
 
In the spring I'll be putting mine on my garden, I've heard roses like it alot. A bit of watering in and I'm betting you'd never know they were there.

I would make triple sure they are cold though-20 gallons of them could hold heat for a good long time I bet.
 
1. Put on driveway to melt snow and ice.
2. Put on garden or lawn.
3. Dump in woods (not an option for you it sounds like.)
4. Make statuettes of Backwoods Savage.
 
Set open can in back of pickup and drive 70mph (or the speed limit) till gone.
 
Spread it over the lawn. A little ash is a good fertilizer. Too much in one place will smother plants or temporarily increase pH too much. 1/4 inch thick layer or less is a good upper limit.
 
Spread on the driveway for traction. I have three 30 gallon galvanized trash containers I've dedicated for ashes. I just keep dumping one of my two five gallon galvanized pails into the 30's. Any left over goes on my 1200 sq ft garden in moderation.
 
Lye content you can make soap.

Fertilizer is the easiest. A chemical reaction takes place with water that letches out any potassium. The name potash, which is used for the granular mined potassium chloride. Comes from when they would mix wood ash with water and heat it up.

I have seen ash glazed pots, look real nice. Wish i still threw clay and id try.

Pull a shawshank and dump a few pockets outside every now and again.
 
I am going to spread around the house foundation. I've heard that ashes will keep out the ants.
 
oldspark said:
Set open can in back of pickup and drive 70mph (or the speed limit) till gone.

:lol:
 
I put mine in plastic bags and throw it out with the trash.

If you have acid soil, then ash will balance it -- good for tomatoes and many other veggies. Not good for blueberries or other acid loving plants.
 
If you don't want them for all the uses already stated, put an ad on Craig's List - works for me.
 
Thanks for all the great replies! I was considering using them on the driveway as stated. As for the other stuff, I'm not really a crafty person, so pottery and soap making are out, but I do like the idea of spreading them on the lawn as fertilizer and around the foundation for ant control.
 
oldspark said:
Set open can in back of pickup and drive 70mph (or the speed limit) till gone.

I figured I was the only one that did this.
 
I think Ive seen that it can get a bit messy when useing for snow (dont know we very rarely ever get snow here) but that tracking soot/ash can become an issue. Maybe some one with more experience with this can advise....
 
Remmy122 said:
I think Ive seen that it can get a bit messy when useing for snow (dont know we very rarely ever get snow here) but that tracking soot/ash can become an issue. Maybe some one with more experience with this can advise....
Ashes are out on my driveway, not by the front door. Not an issue ;-) They're free and work great!
 
Scott2373 said:
Thanks for all the great replies! I was considering using them on the driveway as stated. As for the other stuff, I'm not really a crafty person, so pottery and soap making are out...

Sure, not everybody is crafty and makes their own soap, but I can't count the times I have been blacksmithing and ran out of ashes to anneal my steel.
 
It doesn't help you this time, but it may in the future. I just spread them around the yard as I clean them out (after they cool of course). It's a lot easier to get rid of a small pail full at a time then it is a 20-gallon can.
 
Sure beats buying and spreading salt, which doesn't benefit anything later.
 
Nice to see there are other blacksmiths here that use them for anealing. I make knives and ash in a steel can works great to aneal but you only need so much so most of mine get dumped into the creek and wash away. Figure it is a safe way to make sure they are out cold and as little as I pour in at a time I am sure I am not hurting the ecology.
 
firefighterjake said:
1. Put on driveway to melt snow and ice.
2. Put on garden or lawn.
3. Dump in woods (not an option for you it sounds like.)
4. Make statuettes of Backwoods Savage.


I may have to do that as I am too running out of space.
 
No, I will not model for this...
 
Let me ask another angle here. Since it seems that ashes are able to repel bugs is it wise to sprinkle COLD ashes all around one's wood piles to prevent the problems associated with all sorts of insects in and around stacks?
 
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